When speaking about cafeteria supervisor Philando Castile, co-workers and students at J.J. Hill Montessori Magnet School in St. Paul, Minn., fondly recall the ease with which he connected with students, and the talent he brought to his job.
“He was very popular and very caring,” said Mary Smith, nutrition services coordinator at St. Paul Public Schools. “Kids can pick up on what’s authentic right away. He was authentic. He really did care and the kids knew that.”
Castile was fatally shot by a police officer during a traffic stop last Wednesday. His girlfriend live streamed the aftermath on Facebook, saying the two were pulled over for a broken taillight and that the officer fired as Castile reached for his identification. The video has been viewed on Facebook more than 5 million times, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, bringing attention to the contentious issue of brutality and racial profiling among America’s police.
A letter written by J.J Hill’s principal, Dr. Fatima Lawson, and posted to the school website says Castile “welcomed students to the lunchroom with enthusiasm and fist bumps,” noting that “[t]eachers and staff loved working with him and he frequently greeted former colleagues with a smile and a hug.”
Castile joined St. Paul Public School’s nutrition services department at 19 years old, and was promoted to the position of cafeteria supervisor two years ago.
“I worked with him as an assistant and had gone to his school to train other supervisors,” said Smith. “After hearing my spiel a couple of times, he came over to me and said, ‘Well, I can do that.’”
Smith vividly remembers Castile’s dedication and talent, noting that he had a personal relationship with each of the approximately 300 students at J.J Hill. “It wasn’t just, ‘Hey, how are you doing today?’ He would know, ‘Oh, you don’t want the mashed potatoes, right?’”
Castile was aware of the kids’ food allergies and special diets, and parents regularly made comments about his vigilance in ensuring their children didn’t pick up potentially harmful items by accident.
“He had dreams of moving up,” Smith said. “When he did apply for the first position, he came in a jacket and tie, and he told everybody that his goal was to someday be sitting on the other side of the table.”
She also noted that though he was quiet, he was unflappable during a crisis and would always volunteer to handle a problem. Once, when an employee showed up out of uniform, Smith remembers Castile calmly saying, “I’ll handle breakfast while you go home and change.”
Photos posted to Facebook show kids with messages about Castile written on signs. One read, “Phil gave me a hug when I was feeling down.” One student wrote a card indicating she planned to give Castile a gift this year and still would despite his death. “You had the biggest heart ever,” the card reads. “I really miss you.” The girl’s father told Mic.com that he was touched when he noticed she also included her lunch number on the front of the card.
Funeral services for Castile begin today at St. Paul Cathedral. His family invited the community to attend a barbeque at J.J Hill, which is currently prepared to serve 2,000 people. Eighty-five St. Paul foodservice workers will attend, wearing their chef coats, and have volunteered to help the caterer accommodate the large event.
Smith said she had plans to visit Castile while he worked the summer foodservice program and nudge him to take the level-two test and move up once again.
“Phil was the only male that was a supervisor. He was young and black and he was the face of so many kids that he served,” said Smith. “I really wanted to encourage him to have a bigger role and inspire some more young men to come into this line of work. He was a great role model. It makes a big impact to have not only the diversity but also men involved.”